Orange Birding

Beach Birding 6/14 – 6/16

A Laughing Gull trails the ferry between Lewes DE and Cape May NJ, 6/15/14.

So, Tricia and I spent a three day weekend down at the shore, and although the trip did not revolve around birding, we got plenty in. Our first stop was in Rehoboth Beach Delaware, where we paid my Aunt Kathy and her wife Muriel a long overdue visit. We had a great time while we were there and we all did some birding early Saturday afternoon while walking the newly completed trail in Cape Henlopen State Park that connects Rehoboth Beach to Lewes.

CAPE HENLOPEN STATE PARK, 6/14/14

We were not on the trail very long when we had one of the highlights of the day – I reached a birding milestone by seeing my 300th life bird, which happened to be a Blue Grosbeak:

I would have liked to get a better shot of my 300th lifer, but the early afternoon sun was a bit harsh, so this is my best effort. We were excited to see good numbers of Snowy Egrets, several Osprey, and a single Black Skimmer. There were many terns present, and I believe most of them were Forster’s Terns, with at least one Common Tern also. These are not birds that I am very familiar with, so there is a lot of uncertainty there. Willets were numerous and often in close enough for photos:

Another highlight of the afternoon was second life bird for me which also presented the best photo op of the day: a Brown-headed Nuthatch.

CAPE MAY POINT STATE PARK, 6/16/14

On Sunday, the only birding we did was during the ferry from Lewes DE to Cape May NJ. The only noteworthy birds during the ferry ride were three likely Wilson’s Storm-petrels. I say likely because these are birds that I have no experience with. Looks were very distant and at the time I had no idea what they could be. I snapped some ID shots with the camera and later found out that the Wilson’s is the most likely storm-petrel to be seen on those waters, and also that their flight style, which is low and back and forth across the water stopping from time to time, helps to rule out Leach’s Storm-petrel (which flies more like a nighthawk with deep jerky wingbeats).

Monday morning we headed over to Cape May Point State Park and walked the trails for a bit, where the highlight was a tern I could actually identify. We had a single BLACK TERN that proved to be one of the most difficult birds I’ve ever tried to photograph. For some reason, when that bird was in flight, my camera could not distinguish it from the background. The result was MANY blurry photos. And, even if the bird was in focus, it was tough to get the catch light in the bird’s eye. Anyway, enough whining about it, here are my best shots:

While shooting the Black Tern, we also had a Great Egret come in close:

In the afternoon, we headed home with plans to stop at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, where we drove the 8 mile loop.

EDWIN B. FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, 6/16/14

The Edwin B. Forsythe NWR was by far our most productive birding of the weekend. Things started out well when just off the dock at the start of the loop, we got super looks at a Marsh Wren doing the splits:

Moments later we saw a pair of CLAPPER RAILS, yet another life bird for the weekend:

As we started our way around the loop, I was hearing a call that I’d never heard before. We stopped the car and I found the source: a SEASIDE SPARROW! Another life bird!

We continued around the loop and although we did not have any out of the ordinary birds, we got plenty of great looks at some fabulous birds. I finally got a decent shot of a tern, I believe this is Forster’s Tern:

I also got decent shots of a couple of my favorites; a Black-crowned Night Heron and a Glossy Ibis.

Most of the way around the loop, I was hoping for a close look at a BLACK SKIMMER. Finally, while shooting the above night heron, a skimmer flew in nearby…

…and I was able to get a shot of it doing its thing:

What a great weekend with some awesome birds! It was a shame for it to be over and have to drive home on a Sunday night…

Beach Preview

UPDATE: I’ve been sick all day with a sore throat/cold thing, so I did not get through the weekend’s photos. Hopefully I can finish them up and post tomorrow…

Tricia and I spent a three day weekend down at the shore, mixing some birding in with a nice getaway. We hit Cape Henlopen State Park in Rehoboth Beach DE, Cape May Point State Park, and the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Galloway, NJ. I took a TON of photos, so it will take some time to sift through them all. I hope to have a complete post together for tomorrow night, but we shall see. Until then, here is my lifer CLAPPER RAIL, one of the first birds we saw at the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR:

My lifer Clapper Rail at the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, 6/16/14.

This was the second of five Clapper Rails that we saw for the day. Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, 6/16/14. — This was the second of five (!) Clapper Rails that we saw for the day. Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, 6/16/14.

Tune in tomorrow for more from the weekend!

Swamp Sparrows in the Rain 6/12/14

Swamp Sparrow singing in the rain, Appalachian Trail Pochuck Section, 6/12/14.

After work today I walked the Appalachian Trail Pochuck Section for the first time this year. I had forgotten how good the trail was for Swamp Sparrows, so in spite of the poor light and the rain I got some decent shots. I was hoping that the Marsh Wrens would have nested near the boardwalk like they did last year, but no such luck. In addition to the the SWSPs and MAWRs, all the birds I saw were expected species, with a highlight being a couple of Green Herons.

I love the long legs on these Swamp Sparrows. AT Pochuck Section, 6/12/14.

SWSPs are a beautiful sparrow, I love the colors on the back of this bird.

Swamp Sparrow at the AT Pochuck Section, 6/12/14.

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14

QUICK POST TODAY: I walked the trails out at Shawangunk Grasslands this morning with Karen Miller, Linda Scrima, Maria Loukeris, and Sharon Scavotto. We all did well with many photos of Bobolink and Savannah Sparrows. Grasshopper Sparrows were heard and seen, but with distant looks. Eastern Meadowlarks were mostly heard, though we did see a handful, but again nothing in close. No American Kestrels were seen by the group in the three hours we were there, and no Upland Sandpipers either. We did get an Upland Sandpiper on our way home – perched on a fence post. It was a distant but good look and I believe it was a life bird for everyone in the group except myself. It was a successful morning of birding and bird photography – I can’t wait to see everyone’s shots.

I was happy to get a little bit of a different look - Bobolink on the rocks, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14. — I was happy to get a little bit of a different look – Bobolink on the rocks, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

Savannah Sparrow on the trail, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

Savannah Sparrow, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

A more typical look at a male Bobolink, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

Yellow-breasted Chat Fail

In the past week, I made it out to Sterling Forest State Park FIVE times in hopes of seeing one of the Yellow-breasted Chats that has been reported out there. Last Saturday, Maria Loukeris and I walked several of the trails at the park, after seeing several reports on eBird the week before. We came up empty-handed. Our best bird of the day was a Prairie Warbler located on the trail at the end of Ironwood Drive.

Prairie Warbler singing at Ironwood Drive in Sterling Forest SP, 5/31/14.

On Monday I received a text from Rob Stone; he had located a YBCH on the road that leads into Laurel Meadow Ponds in Sterling Forest SP. After work, as I raced over to the park, John Haas phoned to let me know he had located the bird as well. When I arrived, I immediately heard what I believed was the bird. Try as I might, I never located the bird. At one point, I identified the tree that the bird was in. I was catching glimpses of movement but never got a good look at the bird. Eventually, I wasn’t hearing the bird anymore and even later still, I started to doubt if I had heard it in the first place! On Tuesday, it was more of the same, I heard the bird early on and never located it, then the doubts crept in again. I tried again on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, but on both days I never even heard the bird. The highlight of Thursday’s outing was having two pairs of Blue-winged Warblers giving chase all around me on the trail at high speed. They were completely oblivious to my presence, whipping right by my head many times and perching (very briefly!) very close by. I managed to get a couple decent shots:

Blue-winged Warbler, Sterling Forest SP, 6/5/14.

One of four Blue-winged Warblers that made my day. Sterling Forest SP, 6/5/14.

Of course, I took photos all week as I was going for the Yellow-breasted Chat, but really it was sort of an uneventful week of birding. Here are some shots from the week:

Yellow-billed Cuckoos are plentiful out at Sterling Park SP. This one was seen on 6/2/14.

Another bird that I saw in high numbers this week - Cedar Waxwing at Sterling Forest SP, 5/31/14. — Another bird that I saw in high numbers this week – Cedar Waxwing at Sterling Forest SP, 5/31/14.

I feel like I took more photos of mammals than birds in the past week. Beaver at Laurel Meadow Ponds, 6/5/14.

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/1/14

I finally made it out to one of my favorite places to bird this weekend – the Shawangunk Grasslands. On Saturday evening, Tricia and I met Karen Miller out there for a brief visit before going out to dinner. Then, I made it back out this morning and for over three hours, I walked the trails (which are now called the Tabor Trace – named for Ralph Tabor who does everything that needs to be done out there). It is a great time of year to be at the grasslands, the place is loaded with great birds: Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Savannah Sparrows are numerous and offer plenty of photo opportunities. There is also the possibility to see fantastic birds like Upland Sandpipers and Grasshopper Sparrows, and these two species were at the top of my list this morning. My best birds at the grasslands were by far the 4 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS I had out there. The highlight of the day, however, did not occur at the grasslands. There is a spot, not far from the grasslands, that is good for getting Upland Sandpipers. I followed Ralph, Scotty Baldinger, and Gene McGarry over, and Ralph immediately located an UPLAND SANDPIPER! I jumped out of the car to see the bird and get some photos. Sadly, I am disappointed in my results, but still it was great to get such a good look at the bird. Shortly after that, Ralph and Scotty moved further up the road and located 2 more UPLAND SANDPIPERS! They were a bit distant for photos but still awesome to see.

Super bird, lousy photo. One of three UPLAND SANDPIPERS today in Ulster County - 6/1/14. — Super bird, lousy photo. One of three UPLAND SANDPIPERS today in Ulster County – 6/1/14.

I did better with photos while I was at the grasslands, so here they are, by species:

BOBOLINK – SHAWANGUNK GRASSLANDS 6/1/14

SAVANNAH SPARROW – SHAWANGUNK GRASSLANDS 6/1/14

EASTERN MEADOWLARK – SHAWANGUNK GRASSLANDS 6/1/14

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW – SHAWANGUNK GRASSLANDS 6/1/14

Thursday 5/29/14

Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, Liberty Loop, 5/29/14.

After work today, I made it out to the Liberty Loop. I wanted to follow up on an eBird report from last night that included a King Rail and (5) Sora. When I arrived, Linda Scrima was already there having just walked out Liberty Lane. I heard what I believed was a Sora from far out into the marsh as soon as I got out of my car. I have never heard or seen a Sora before, so I was listening to the call on my phone app to be sure. We walked the east side of the loop out and back, and Sora intermittently called as we walked. The calls could still be heard as we pulled out of the parking lot just after 7:00 pm. From what I could tell, there were at least two Sora present. Out on the trail, I tried clacking rocks together to see if the King Rail would respond – the first time I did it both Linda and I thought we heard a response. It was distant and faint and we only heard it the one time, and again, this is a bird that I have no experience with, so I am hoping to get another opportunity to see or hear this bird and hopefully get a good ID on it.

The highlight of the evening was seeing my first Green Heron of the season. That’s right, my FOS Green Heron. I feel like I have been out quite a lot this spring, but somehow I have not seen a GRHE until today. Unfortunately, no good photos of the bird. Another highlight was seeing and getting photos of a beautiful Yellow-billed Cuckoo, my current favorite bird. The lowlight was definitely the lack of shorebirds, with only a couple Killdeer and a single Spotted Sandpiper being seen.

Tree Swallow at Wallkill River NWR, 5/29/14.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos 5/26/14

A very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop Trail, 5/26/14.

I went out this morning with the main goal of trying to get some cuckoo photos. I think both cuckoos that we get in the area (Yellow-billed and Black-billed) are fascinating birds; such large beautiful birds with exotic calls that I somehow never saw or heard my whole life until the last few years. My first stop was at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge Winding Waters Trail, where Linda Scrima had located a Yellow-billed Cuckoo the night before. On my way out on the trail I heard a YBCU but did not see it. On my way back I located the bird easily when it called from a stand of bare trees. Huge thanks to Linda for the heads up, here is a shot of that bird:

Yellow-billed Cuckoo on the Winding Waters Trail at Wallkill River NWR, 5/26/14.

Afterwards, I headed over to the Liberty Loop to meet up with Maria Loukeris. We walked the loop; I was hoping for some shorebirds somewhere along the way. Shorebirds were not in abundance (Semipalmated Plover-2, Greater Yellowlegs-2, Spotted Sandpiper-1, Solitary Sandpiper-1, and Maria saw what were likely the Semipalmated Sandpipers that I had out there the other night- maybe 20 of them?). The poor showing of shorebirds was more than made up for by a pair of cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the southwest corner of the loop, right in the area of the eagle’s nest. I believe this was the first time Maria had seen YBCU, and we both took many photos. My best effort is at the top of this post.

Bashakill WMA, 5/25/14

Karen Miller and I birded the Bashakill this morning. I hit most of the hot spots at the Bash by the mornings end; Karen and I started at Haven Road and then moved on to the Orchard/Stop Sign Trail, and then we hit Nature Trail before Karen had to leave to meet a friend. I continued on to the Horseshoe Trail and then ended my morning at the Deli Fields, where I enjoyed a delicious sandwich from the deli. It was not an overly exciting morning of birding, as we did find any out of the ordinary birds, just the usual suspects for this time of year, but we quietly put together a list of 48 species identified:

I haven't had too many Cedar Waxwings this spring. Bashakill WMA, 5/25/14. — I haven’t had too many Cedar Waxwings this spring. Bashakill WMA, 5/25/14.

Baltimore Oriole at the Horseshoe Trail, Bashakill WMA, 5/25/14.

Saturday 5/24/14

GOOSE POND MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

I met Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris at Goose Pond Mountain State Park early this morning in an effort to beat the rain that was forecasted. It was a gray morning with more birds being heard than seen for most of the trip out on the trail. The way back was another story, however, and we ended up getting some good looks at many of the birds we only heard on the way out. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the pair of BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS that showed up right on the trail. I was struggling terribly with the camera all morning for some reason, so I only got so-so shots. It was a life bird for both Linda and Maria, so that was exciting. What started out as a slow morning ended up pretty good, and counting the Northern Mockingbird I saw before Linda and Maria arrived, we totaled 40 species for the day. Here’s my list for the day – Linda and Maria, let me know if I’ve missed anything!

Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee

Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Ovenbird
Blue-winged Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch

Another highlight of the day was getting great looks at this Chestnut-sided Warbler, located by Maria. I did not get any decent shots of this bird, this was taken — Another highlight of the day was getting great looks at this Chestnut-sided Warbler, located by Maria. Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 5/24/14. Photo by Linda Scrima.

WALLKILL RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Last year I could not get a photo of a Great-crested Flycatcher, this year it's a different story. Wallkill River NWR, 5/24/14. — Last year I could not get a photo of a Great-crested Flycatcher, this year it’s a different story. Wallkill River NWR, 5/24/14.

In the evening, I went back out, this time to the Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop Trail – mostly in search of shorebirds. I did just alright for shorebirds, locating (3) Semipalmated Plovers, (4) Killdeer, (1) Greater Yellowlegs, (5) Spotted Sandpipers, and (20) smaller shorebirds that I only saw from a distance in flight and I’m not going to venture a guess for:

Any thoughts on the ID of these shorebirds? Liberty Loop, 5/24/14.

American Goldfinch showing off at Wallkill River NWR, 5/24/14.

As I walked the loop, I saw many of the expected species, including a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the woods by the back pond. The best moment of the evening, however, was not bird related at all. I had a black bear ran parallel to the trail on the east side of the loop. It was awesome to see and I was lucky enough to get some shots: